Kokrajhar violence spills into neighbouring Barpeta district

Violence from the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) in Assam has spilled over to the neighbouring Barpeta district as unidentified assailants killed one person and burnt down five houses in Khairabari near Barpeta Road. With this, the death toll in the BTAD violence has now crossed 90.

Supporters of the All Assam Minority Students Union, which had called a 12-hour bandh in the state on Wednesday, clashed with local youths at Chalantapara in Goalpara district and later blocked the National Highway 31. The local administration fired rubber bullets to disperse the mob. "The mob seemed very organised as in just 30 minutes, 1,000 people assembled in that area. Some anti-social elements are working in the area but our intelligence has not been able to tap them, " said an Assam government official on Wednesday.

In another incident, four persons were injured in Manikpur in Bongaigaon district as bandh supporters tried to block NH 37. Sporadic violence have been reported from Sonitpur and Sibsagar districts in Assam and even journalists were attacked at several places.

Meanwhile, one body was recovered at around 5 am on Tuesday near Salakati in Kokrajhar. Five persons, including a woman and a 14-year-old boy, were injured when a group of 30 unidentified miscreants opened fire at Pakhartali village near Fakiragram Railway station in Kokrajhar at around 9-30 pm on August 27. The group later fired at CRPF and BSF patrolling parties but fled under cover of darkness. The group even exploded crude bombs in the village.

In another incident, unidentified gunmen opened fire at Tokiamari village in Gosaigaon sub-division in Kokrajhar. One person was injured in the firing, said Kokrajhar DC Jayant Narlekar.